Drew Sharp has died

That's just too young.  Prayers and thoughts to his friends & loved ones.

I will preface this by saying I know absolutely nothing about Drew sharp. I live in Canada so I don't read or hear Detroit news and never knew exactly why people disliked him (though I heard enough on here to develop a hypothesis). Therefore I had no ill feelings toward Mr. Sharp.

Knowing how many people around here felt about him, though, it reminded me of a similar situation that occurred here a couple of weeks ago. Here, however, I knew the reason people disliked the guy and I must admit they had very good reasons. Much better than the ones for people disliking Mr. Sharp.

The man was a well known drug dealer and all around bad dude. He was outside his house one morning when two men stopped and stabbed him multiple times and ran off. I was on call when the man came in, still alive, but barely. After hours of surgery the man passed and the comments I heard I found pretty disturbing.

I heard countless people talking about how the world was a better place with him gone, how no one would lose sleep over his passing and things of that nature. Now I'm not saying that this gentlement may not have had something like this coming to him because of the line of business that he was in, but it didn't make him less of a father, brother, son or husband. 

Regardless of the life he lead he left behind loved ones and there certainly would be people who lost sleep over his passing. I was there when his wife and daughter were told he had passed. I saw his brother a few days later who was still shaken to his core. His mother ended up in outpatient psych two days after he passed.

My overall point is simply that while these two people are very different (and not remotely on similar levels) for reasons right or wrong they had a following if people who disliked them very much. That fact doesn't preclude them from having people close to them who love them very much, and who suffer extreme sorry when they've gone. 

It's those people that should be remembered at times like this. Those who are suffering need not be bombarded with things that challenge the love they have for their loved one who has passed. We don't need to try to rewrite history so that the person was a saint, we just need to remember the old addage that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all and let those who loved them grieve in peace.

I want to be clear on this too...I'm not trying to be on a high horse here and sound like I'm lecturing because that isn't my intent. It's really more me trying to come to terms with how people around here reacted to the man whom I was referring to passing away than anything I read on this thread pertaining to Drew Sharp. I think people here have been very respectful in this case, when the potential for negativity was certainly there. 

sad. wonder what happened.

We are all mortal, and we are all flawed.

Condolences to the man's family.

Kudos to all the nice comments above.

I can't say I ever cared for his opinions but may he rest in peace.

is all the people who have commented that they either have nothing to say about the man because they didnt like his writing or will refrain from making snarky comments about his death because they want to be "classy" or actually said horrible things...you might benefit from some introspection, because it's quite likely you're either a horrible person or some kind of psycopath with the inability to feel empathy for other human beings on the most basic level.

A person died. This person wasnt a monster. This person may have said things you did not agree with, but in the grand scheme of things, so what?  I can see harboring this attitude if it is a truly reprehensible person who caused pain and suffering to other people, but someone who wrote a sprts column, had a family and wrote things you didnt like? Grow the (expetive deleted) up

I do my best on the internet to ignore stupidity because its none of my business, but I geniunely feel sorry for those of you who have reacted this way. 

Horrible writer. But, undoubtedly, a fine human being. Thus,the balance tips strongly in his favor. RIP and condolences to his family.

One of the nicest people you'd meet in person. He'd get me mad, he'd make me laugh while reading his articles. He did exactly what he needed to do as a journalist/columnist. 

Rest in peace Drew, you were a massive part of our sports culture in Detroit and Michigan. 

I wish Drew would have lived long enough to see Michigan wail on Sparty's behind year in and year out.

Not only was he an M grad, but a fellow CC Shamrock.

Hulabaloo Drew.

prayers for his family.  but if mitch albom dies ...

Holy shit.  Never liked the guy much, but RIP Drew Sharp.

News like this really highlight how insignificant sports is in the grand scheme of life. I disagreed with Drew often, but the media just loss a really good reporter. RIP Drew...RIP...

I never read enough of his columns to ever really gain an opinion of him. But always enjoyed listening to him on the radio. He was a genuine guy. Totally shocked right now. RIP drew.

Condolences to his family. This is a sad day.

I did not agree with Mr. Sharp's opinions about Michigan football, but I appreciate his passion and his right to express them openly, in the face of a great deal of criticism and even at times, outrage.

No ones feelings are mixed when some passes away so young. Dying young is tragic.

All you need to do is run a simple search on this blog for the terms "Drew Sharp" and you will find very interesting observations of his writings from a different perspective.

Like this open letter to him in February 2010, around signing day about Drew Sharp's Demar Dorsey article:

http://mgoblog.com/diaries/open-letter-drew-sharp

 

As always my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones. He's writing poorly sourced hit pieces about God now.

Well that's too bad... Being 57 myself, I would like to say I am surprised I out lived Drew but he died way way too young. In his bed? Really? I thought that was the safest place on the planet, in bed, assuming I am not in the middle of a sex triangle... Anyway thats too bad I never liked the guy but again he died very surprisingly and far too young.

wasn't a fan of his. but nevertheless didn't want to see him pass. RIP!

in a couple months myself.  So it does hit home a little.

I didn't respect Sharp's brand of journalism, seemed more of a professional troll than anything.  Still, 56 is way too soon for his family and friends to lose him.

It's sad when anyone dies, and my condolensces to his family and friends.  Doesn't mean I particularly liked the guy's persona or how he did his job, but obviously this is a loss and we should be respectful.

Wow, sad to hear the news of Drew passing.  As a life-long Michigan resident I've read a lot of his writing over the years.  I'm not very far from 56 so it hits home.  RIP Drew.